ALTAR SERVERS ON RETREAT

Altar Servers from Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Holy Family Church and St. Anne Chapel on St. Thomas shared a retreat at the Light of Christ Retreat Center on St. Croix on October 6-9. On Saturday they visited all of the parishes on St. Croix, and each pastor gave them a history of their church. Fr. Kenneth Gaddy, CSsR, Director of the Blessed Peter Donders Residence, met with them at St. Patrick Church and spoke to them about a life of prayer. The retreat closed on Sunday with Mass at St. Patrick Church and a picnic at Kramers Park.

THE CATHOLIC ISLANDER    *NOVEMBER   2006 *     4

ALL SAINTS DAY

On All Saints Day, November 1, Catholics recall the saints in heaven It is a holy day of obligation: the first precept of the Church, "You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation," requires Catholics to attend Mass on that day. Many parishes will have both morning and evening Masses that day.

NUESTRA SENORA DE PROVIDENCIA, PATRONESS OF PUERTO RICO

Three parishes will celebrate the Feast of Nuestra Senora de Providencia (Our Lady of Divine Providence), patroness of Puerto Rico, with Spanish Masses on Sunday, November 19.

The largest celebration likely will be the one at St. Joseph Church on St.

Croix, where Mass in Spanish will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., followed by a reception with traditional Puerto Rican dishes in the Hospitality Lounge and Learning Center. Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas will celebrate the Mass at 12:30 p.m. and Our Lady ofMt. Carmel Church on St. John at 5:00 p.m.

Our Lady of Divine Providence, one of many titles of Mary, the mother of Jesus, has been considered the patroness of Puerto Rico for approximately 150 years.

ALUMNI NEWS

Ss. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas will host its annual Alumni Re-Connect Cocktail Sip and Silent Auction at the Petite Pump Room on Friday, November 17 at 6:00 p.m. Virgin Islands history and cultural memorabilia will be auctioned. Tickets are available at the school and at St. Thomas and St. John parishes for $25.

Rev. Dr. George Franklin, President/Principal, is soliciting additional donations of historical memorabilia for the auction.

Alumni are also invited to attend Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on Sunday, November 19, at 10:30 a.m., and an Open House at the school on Monday, November 20, at 8:00 a.m.

ALL SOULS DAY

On All Souls Day, Catholics are invited to pray for the departed faithful still in purgatory. Although all parishes will celebrate Masses that day, several Virgin Islands parishes are planning special events to commemorate All Souls Day on Thursday, November 2.

Holy Cross Church on St. Croix will have a procession from the church to Christiansted Cemetery beginning at noon. Fr. Pat Lynch, Pastor, will celebrate Mass at the cemetery.

Congregants at two parishes are invited to bring to Mass a flower to place by the altar in remembrance of their dearly departed during the prayers of intercession. St. Joseph Church on St. Croix will have a bilingual Mass at 7:00 p.m. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church on St. John will have the Mass at 8:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

DOMINICA INDEPENDENCE

Dominica will celebrate twenty­ eight years of independence on November 3. Catholics in the Virgin Islands will remember the occasion with festive French Creole Masses.

Fr. Herman Sharplis of Vielle Case, Dominica, will celebrate Mass at St. Ann Church on St. Croix on Sunday, November 5, at 9:30 a.m. He will celebrate Mass at Holy Family Church on St. Thomas on the following Sunday, November 12, at 10:00 a.m.